Coral Tree Tea House

I loved everything about this place. From the nice woman on the phone who booked my reservation, to all food and the ladies serving once we were sat at our table. We went for afternoon tea, which came with 3 types of sandwiches (cucumber, chicken, and apple), a triangle pastry filled with spinach, jalapeño cornbread, two types of scones, and on the dessert tier were coffee cake, brownies, and a cheesecake cup. Everything was delicious. Everything. Though I wish we had more sandwiches than dessert things. They ask you for any allergies beforehand but note that the menu options change so don’t bank on any constants other than the traditional sandwiches.
The tea options itself were excellent. There are apparently no limits on how many you want to sample, so between us we tried 5 or 6 teas. I had no expectations, but every single thing we sampled was so, SO good. I wish I could have taken some of their coconut chocolate tea home.
All the food is made in house and the service was friendly… But not that obviously fake friendly service like they were laying it on thick for the tips, like they actually genuinely enjoyed being there. I would most definitely come back again.
PARKING: Park in heritage park.

The Coral tree tea house was quaint and cosy, the finger sandwhiches were delicious along with the scones and Devonshire cream, the house tea was Chocolate & Coconut! I had an amazing experience and will definitely be back!

Absolutely wonderful. I had a surprise 80^th birthday celebration for my mother, there were 14 of us and it was fabulous. The assortment of tea was great and there was an abundance of food (we needed a doggie bag). The staff is very sweet and very accommodating. I highly recommend the Coral Tree Tea House. Only one small negative we did have to sit at two tables but we were in a private room.

I took my 16 year old sister here as an unique Christmas gift. We are both gluten free and they had fabulous accommodations! I called a week in advance to make the reservation. The place is small so they fill up quick. We had numerous pots of delicious tea and had the MOST delicious sweet and savory treats. We even got sandwiches with gluten free bread! I would definitely go back for a special occasion. It will become a valuable memory!

beautiful location. yummy afternoon tea. loved looking at gorgeous hats!

Is there a better place to have a tea party other than in a charming, Victorian style house???
This past Sunday, in celebration of my daughter’s 12^th birthday, I hosted a tea party for her and a few of her friends here and it was everything that I had always imagined it would be. From the inside out, everything was picture perfect.
We arrived to beautifully set table topped with vintage floral tea cups and saucers. Our package included the choice of three delicious teas; we chose Friends Tea (a blend of pineapple, passion fruit, and strawberry), Mango Passionfruit, and Just Peachy. When ready, the filled teapots were served on top of candle lit teapot warmers, and the food brought out on 3-​tiered serving racks. The girls oohed and ahhed… I’ll admit, I did too! During tea, the staff also passed around a small tray of costume rings for the girls to keep (the house sells costume jewelry and such in the foyer). It was so adorable watching these well dressed young ladies enjoying the party.
Adding even more to the experience, the Coral Tree Tea House staff were very sweet and attentive. To wrap things up, they brought my daughter a birthday scone covered with sprinkles, with a candle in the middle, and sang her a cute birthday song.
Having tea here was such a memorable experience! Some of my daughter’s friends said it was the best birthday party they have ever been to!

I came here for a friend’s birthday lunch. I’m not sure exactly what package she purchased but it included a ton of food and unlimited tea.
The first course was an apple salad, which was okay (had a lot of onion in it). Next they brought out a platter with sandwiches on the bottom, scones on the middle, and desserts on the top. Almost all of the sandwiches and desserts were absolutely divine. I had a great time sampling all of them. The scones were okay, but I would have liked it if they were softer and had more dipping sauce. Warning: the flowers on the platter are not edible! While we ate we also tried probably 6 or so different teas, almost all of which were delicious. I enjoyed their dessert teas the best probably.
Both the interior and exterior of the location are really cozy and classic, and I had so much fun trying on all of the hats and accessories which they allowed us to wear throughout our stay. The staff was really fun and helpful, making the experience lively and interactive. Overall I had a wonderful time.

Love the atmosphere of the Coral Tree, but the lack of AC while drinking hot tea makes for a less pleasant experience. Otherwise, the ambiance is fantastic, the food phenomenal, the teas some of my favorites (liquid candy and Mary’s macadamia– oh my!), and the service is good. Stay away on super hot days, but otherwise this is one of my favorite tea rooms.

Love this place!!! Such a proper setting for a tea house with the old Victorian style home in Old Town San Diego! Great ambiance, great service, great tea selection! Would definitely come back here!

We had the Afternoon tea service. We were so impressed with this tea house. All the food is made on site and tastes so fresh. We agreed that the Coral tree tea house had the best sandwiches of the many tea houses we have visited. The peach cheesecake (bakeless cheesecake) was delicious. Not to mention the wonderful teas. We were advised to have bold teas with the sandwich and then go with a lighter tea with the dessert. We had Lucy tea… cherry and coconut with dessert. We agreed of the four flavors we had it was the best. The Coral House tea of with chocolate and coconut flavors was amazing. We also had the Crème Brule and Hospitalitea flavors. Great service and fun location. We hope to go back again.

Great experience! Although we were a little confused about the fact that we all had to share our meals which was suggested by one of the employees. When the food came out we understood why. There was enough for everyone in our big group to get enough food. The tea was excellent! I loved the coral tea tree which is their signature tea. I had to buy some before I left because it was so great.

My mom and I are something of tea connoisseurs. We try to go to a tea almost every place we visit, so have experienced high tea done at many different venues. My mom is also grim England originally, so we have put on our own high teas on occasion :)
We LOVED the tea that was put on at CTTH. The tea sandwiches, scones, etc were not only beautifully presented but also delicious. The atmosphere was quaint and inviting, and the staff were wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable. And, most importantly, the tea was very, very good!
If you are in the area, do a tea here! You won’t regret it. My mom and I look forwarding to visiting again the next time we’re in the area.

If your going to have a tea party this place is a must try. Finding the place was a task and then walking to it in heels was a bit of work but it was all worth it. My friend threw a all white thirty flirty fancy tea party here in there party room and it was beautiful. I love the cucumber sandwiches, the scones and the crème brûlée tea. I jumped at the chance to wear there over the top stylish hats. You can even buy the hats if you like or purchase jewelry, tea sets, books, or tea. The coral treehouse is truly a gem of San Diego. I now really really want a tea set to entertain my girls and now and thinking about doing a mother daughter tea party here around Mother’s Day. I believe the price is around $ 30 a person and parking is free. The only thing I wish is that one of the employees gave us more education in tea parties and why they become popular, etiquette or just a brief history of the tea house itself. I felt like that would have made the experience over the top. I love that my friend was able to hire a decorator and make the room real special for us all. After all ambience is everything. It’s turned out beautiful.

My favorite tea house in San Diego! The staff is so friendly. The property is beautiful. I love looking out the window to the lush grass and gorgeous Victorian homes. The staff is always so nice to my sweet little Princess. Coral Tree is definitely a tradition I hope my lil one and I can continue for years to come.

This place is super great and awesome. The entire experience is phenomenal, from the call to make a reservation to the actual service. Every one is very attentive and nice. You know that nice that comes from the heart and not trying? They are wonderful. Tea is just the bomb! The sandwiches and deserts are delicious! Defiantly coming back!

I had my first high tea experience this past weekend, and it was amazing! Just from seeing the pictures, I knew I wanted to visit.
I left a message to make a reservation on Monday for a party of 6. The lady (I forgot her name :/​) returned my call on wednesday, as stated on their website. On friday, she called to confirm, and at this point our party count reduced to 4 people. However, on the day of, a friend of mine decided to come, so I called 2 hours before our reservation to see if they could accommodate one more (knowing this could not be possible). The lady was SO nice! she let us know that it was possible but we would be a bit crowded which we were ok with. She then checked with the kitchen and they said it was ok.
We all arrived on time, and were seated right away. As you can see in the pictures, the place is a beautiful victorian house with a Coral tree just in front of it and other beautiful houses (that I think are museums) around it. The teapots, china, and everything was beautiful. For the afternoon tea, you get 3 layers of food– savory, scones and dessert. You also get 2 teapots which can be refilled as often as you like. We tried 4 different teas. The tea and the food were both great.
All and all, this was a great experience. I look forward to visiting again.

Unique San Diego experience that shouldn’t be missed!
I’m an ABSOLUTE fan of the Coral Tree Tea House! I enjoy having the Tea experience and am fortunate to have enjoyed all levels of Tea Houses; high end at The Willard in Washington DC and small family owned spots. I was extremely excited upon finding the Coral Tree Tea House when doing a Google search for the San Diego area. The fact that it is located in the historic Heritage Circle near Old Town in one of the homes from the 1800’s made it even more enticing.
My message for a reservation request this week, was quickly returned by Blanche, who was very gracious and accommodating. She made a point to inquire about food allergies and dietary preferences. I was pleased to have received a reminder call the day before our reservation too!
There is ample parking in the lot at the bottom of the park, which allows for a nice walk up the hill admiring the other historic homes. (as a side note, Blanche was also pertinent to inquire if any of us needed handicap access, which is available).
Being a historic home from the 1800’s, it is very quaint and cozy. We were quickly seated at a beautifully set table. Very impressive first impression! The attention to detail was amazing and we felt very special. Immediately, we were served a cup of the house Coral Tree Tea in a beautiful china tea cup, while we looked over the tea menu. We ordered 3 Queen Teas and had 2 pots of tea for the table.
We started with a delicious Waldorf salad. Then our 3 tier stand was served. The savory sandwiches were beautifully presented, a nice variety and very tasty. 2 choices of scones Chocolate and Cherry Almond which were delicious, not too dry at all! They were served with Devonshire Cream, Strawberry jam and Lemon curd. The desserts were also delicious and a pleasing variety anyone would enjoy. The amount of food was just right, not too much, not too little.
In true Tea tradition, we were not rushed at all and we throughly enjoyed our afternoon.
There is a very sweet gift shop with hats, books, jewelry and tea essentials; AND we got 20% off since we just had tea! Very nice perk!
At the end of a lovely afternoon with great friends and a scrumptious Queen’s Tea, I didn’t want the experience to end! I made a reservation for next month before leaving…

Delicious! Adorable! Unique experience!
I went for afternoon tea with my best friend on a Saturday afternoon. We got dressed up as we thought suitable for the occasion (which was fun in itself) and head out to the beautiful park in which this Victorian house is located. Gorgeous walk up the hill looking at the Victorian houses. Easy parking.
All the food and tea we had was delicious! There was such an assortment that I was surprised everything was so good! Oh, except the peaches and cream, I didn’t enjoy that. Brownie and scones were amazing. Such a great way to spend a relaxing afternoon catching up with a friend. We both want to do this once a month now! I also want to buy a nice tea set with warmer now!
Our favorite teas were the black tea with peach (mine) and the house blend (my friends). They let us try many types and we liked them all!
Will definitely be back and introducing friends to this lovely place!

My family and I were visiting San Diego two weeks ago to celebrate my mother’s bday weekend and my sisters belated bday. So for their birthday I wanted to surprise them. I read some reviews and decided on The Coral Tree Tea House. The fact that it was in a historical Victorian setting was definitely a bonus and added to the atmosphere of having tea for the day.
I made reservations about 4 days in advance (which I should have reserved at least a week in a half before) they were practically booked but were able to accommodate my family of 4 on the porch at 11am on a Sunday Morning. Which actually was the best table I say! It was a beautiful breezy day and my family really enjoyed it. It was pretty compact but still comfortable. And the sun was not hitting us at all. We were in the shade which i was happy about. The sun does not hit the front of the porch until later in the day.
Blanch who made the reservations was extremely helpful, made great conversation and always made sure we were enjoying ourselves. She even surprised my mother and sister with a nice birthday bracelet to celebrate. The staff and cook would come around and see how we were doing and that made me very happy because I am Big on hospitality and service.
Food and tea were very delicious! They have a 4 menu option. I went with two queen high teas and 2 cream teas (one with scones and one with dessert). Overall we had two pots of tea at a time and ordered about 2 rounds. Which were all delicious and they even provided a sample of their house tea! Seems like a small amount of food but for 4 of us we got full and even had some dessert leftover to take home. Overall price was about $ 90 for the items ordered.
The only con I have is that when making the reservation and in person they stress the fact that there is a reservation right after you. In my case the next reservation was at 1:30pm and that we would have to finish by 1:15pm. Which gave us about 2 hrs and 15min which was enough time. I just don’t like to be rushed. Yet, because they had mentioned it on the phone I expected it and it didn’t bother me too much. No matter what we finished 40 minutes early and they only reminded me once about the following reservation early during our tea time.
So since we finished early we shopped inside and checked out the other tea rooms. It was very unique and homey which I loved! Many of the items were reasonably priced only a a few items I thought were not worth the price marked. But the great thing is if you dine in you get a 20% off discount on the items!
Overall, very happy with this location and would definitely go back again!!!

Just visited today with a group of 7 women — the hostess allows guests to wear the hats hanging on the wall of the tea room, which REALLY added to the fun.
We had a reservation, and had previously arranged for the «three food items» option, which was plenty. Each person got 3 mini-​sandwiches, a savory mini-​muffin, two scones with cream and lemon curd, and three desserts.
We worked our way from the bottom of the food plates (savory) to the top (sweet), and the hostess suggested that we order our teas to blend well with the food we were enjoying at the time.
We were allowed to select three teas for the table, which some Unilocalers feel is limiting, but it was plenty. They continually refresh the pots, so I probably had 5 or 6 cups by the time we were through. Here are the teas we had:
1. The «House Tea» was a free sample, a black tea that was tasty
2. «Just Peachy» — a black tea with natural peaches. This was my favorite, and smelled amazing.
3. «Melissa’s Medley» — a white tea with apples and papaya. I didn’t care for this one, but some of the other ladies did.
4. «Crème Brulee» — caramel and vanilla flavors. This obviously went really well with the desserts, and tasted wildly authentic — even a little bit of the burnt sugar!
The other two tables in the place had men without hats (hee-​hee), and they seemed to be having a nice time, and not embarrassed or anything.
There is a parking lot just beyond the cobblestone drive, where tea patrons can park. This can come in very handy on a busy summer day in Old Town.
Dress up and have some fun!